My Power, My Pleasure, My Pain
by BlackRainWillFall
Summary: When Toby is diagnosed with leukemia, Sarah is forced to face her only option: to call upon the Goblin King. But Jareth refuses to be so generous this time, and demands something from Sarah in return: to stay in the Underground for as long as HE wishes.
1. Life As She Knows It

**A/N**: I've always loved the Labyrinth; it's been one of my favorite movies since I was a little girl. Funny thing is, I would always ask my dad, "Daddy, why didn't she stay with the Goblin King? Doesn't he love her?" And he'd always say, "Because he's the bad guy, Lainie." My six-year-old mind had accepted this answer, no matter how many times I asked and I already knew he would say he same thing. Not until I was twelve did I begin to think otherwise; now I'm fifteen, writing a fan fiction to satisfy what I always thought 'should have been.' That probably doesn't make sense, that something so little would bother me…

But it does. **Now read and review, please!**

**DISCLAIMER**: I DO NOT, and WILL NOT EVER own the Labyrinth… much to my dismay.

_XXX_

_Chapter I: Life As She Knows It _

She forbade herself to think about him.

It wasn't as though she thought about him every waking moment in her impassive life; but, she **did** think about him at times. And when she did, she forced her eyes shut and threw herself onto her bed to scream into her pillow. She didn't **want** her mind to wander off and subject herself to picture him, yet she **did**. Her mixed feelings when she thought of him confused her so much; then she'd think to herself: _I mean, isn't he supposed to be the villain? _

Oh, but she knew that wasn't the case.

On her run through the Labyrinth, she wanted him to be the villain. And because she wanted him to be the villain, he allowed himself to be the villain. He did so because she **wanted** it, and she knew he would give her anything she desired… he still did in his own little ways, even after she so utterly humiliated him by throwing his twisted but beautiful offer back in his face.

Sarah Williams pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration; she should be studying right now. She was currently spread on her stomach across her bed, propped up on her elbows so as to continue flipping through her Drama History book. She glanced at her study guide paper, reading the last question aloud: "What were the major effects dealt by Shakespeare's writings in his time?"

Sarah voice died at the end of her words, her eyes changing into a dazed expression. _Hmm… how did he fair after everything? _

"Sarah!" A voice interrupted her thoughts. Sarah glanced to the doorway, and beamed at the sight of her little brother. Seven-year-old Toby hadn't changed too much since he was two, the exception being that his golden hair had grown into a crown of curls and his light skin was adorned with a few scratches and bruises that a child endures during his horseplay. His usually mischievous eyes were very tired, Sarah noted, which was often a rare thing for the boy. He thumped his way into her room, and tugged persistently on the short sleeve of his sister's lavender nightgown. "You know the deal," He mumbled, "story before bed." The young woman arched an eyebrow at this, but nodded in humorous agreement anyways. She scribbled down a quick answer to her last question, then tossed the paper and book carelessly under her bed.

This 'deal' that Sarah and Toby had arranged was quite simple: Every time Sarah came home from the NYU for the holidays, she'd have to tell Toby a story **every night **she spent there… or else he'd drive their parents crazy with his nonstop crying due to her absence. So long as he heard her stories and could memorize her voice, he wouldn't shed a tear. They shook on it, and their deal had been upheld for almost fourteen months now.

As Sarah swung her legs over the ledge of her bed, Toby took the opportunity to settle himself onto her lap. She smiled endearingly as she tousled his hair, asking, "So! What story do you want to hear tonight?"

Toby grinned somewhat half-heartedly, which made Sarah frown in concern, but was forced to forget it and roll her eyes at his request. "I wanna hear the one 'bout the Goblin King!"

"Toby," she sighed, "you **always** want to hear that one. Why not a different one tonight?"

"You told me a different one last night, and said you would tell me about the Goblin King tonight!" He whined. Sarah's eyes shifted away in annoyance for a minute before she looked back at the child. True, she and Toby had grown unimaginably close ever since their return from the Labyrinth… but that didn't mean he couldn't still be a pain in the butt sometimes. She had learned to deal with it better rather than wish him away, though…

She looked at him, and noticed that he was dozing off. A flicker of worry brushed through her face as she lightly shook Toby, "Hey, what's wrong? Why so tired tonight? Don't you want to hear the story about… the Goblin King?" She hesitated before she voiced his title, never allowing herself to speak his name. She had **never** said his real name before; she knew it, but she never said it. She didn't know why exactly… even the child noticed her failure to mention the Goblin King's true name, but then she'd just shake her head and say that she couldn't remember, that she didn't know.

He yawned and snuggled into her embrace, mumbling incoherent words until she finally caught on to, "Well, aren't you going to tell it now?"

Her lips parted slightly as the vivid image of the Goblin King painted itself in her mind, and she closed her eyes as she began: "Once, there was a girl who was forced to stay at home with her baby brother all the time, while her parents went out to extravagant parties. One night, her stepmother's cruel words had hurt her, and she was fed up with babysitting. She thought that words were just words, and without really thinking of all the bad things that could come out of it, she wished the King of the Goblin's would come and take her little brother away…"

Sarah paused, looking around her room just to check for… well, whatever she should check for. She had been **much** more careful with her words concerning the Goblin King throughout the past five years, fearing that if she said the 'right' words, he or his goblin subjects would appear again. This was just one of the many reasons she was reluctant to tell Toby of this tale, but the child had always innocently insisted, never knowing why his older sister hesitated when it came to his favorite story. Satisfied that her words had not caused any malfunction or summoning, she continued: "But what no one knew was, that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl…"

It would be about this time in the story where Toby would have scrunched up his nose in distaste and jeered, "Ewww!" But not tonight. Tonight, he was fast asleep on Sarah's lap, which left the young woman both relieved and disappointed. There **were**, in fact, nights where she enjoyed telling him the tale of the Goblin King.

Carefully, she propped his head at her collar bone, arms wrapped safely around his dangling body as she carried him to his room. He had gotten his own room a little over two years ago, relishing in having his own space where he could draw and pin up as many of his colorful and fantasy-filled pictures as he wanted. Karen had been more than upset to learn that her son had followed in his older half-sister's footsteps, equipped with an overactive imagination and a knack for collecting things that she only saw as junk. It didn't bother Robert so much, so long as he behaved well enough to earn all his posters, toys, and books.

Sarah gently lowered the boy onto his bed, tucking him in. She gave him a quick peck on the forehead, and turned back to the doorway. She froze immediately, her eyes widening in astonishment: a dark silhouette stood at the door frame, and Sarah could've **sworn **she could see traces of midnight blue glitter floating around a black cape. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came. Instead, a choking sensation lodged itself in her throat before she heard her stepmother's voice whisper, "Sarah?"

The young woman gagged in relief, placing a hand on her brother's dresser to keep her balanced on her feet. "K-Karen!" She wheezed.

Mrs. Williams frowned, grabbing Sarah none-too gently by the elbow and leading her out of Toby's room. "What's the matter with you? You want to wake up your brother by scaring him to death!? You know he hasn't been feeling very well lately, Sarah."

The young woman's temper flared slightly, and she felt her childish fifteen-year-old self emerging from within herself once more. "No Karen, you **didn't **tell me how Toby has been feeling lately. Even dad failed to mention it."

Karen rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come now Sarah, no need to get so fussy with me. I'm just concerned, is all--"

"What's wrong with Toby?" Sarah rudely interjected, passing over their small argument for what her father hadn't told her since she had flown in from New York yesterday afternoon.

For a moment Karen looked downcast as she replied, "He's been acting this way for over a month now. He's always saying he's tired, and he gets these bruises on his body that he can't explain. I thought he was faking it so he could stay home from school, but--"

"That's it, Karen. His bruises are just from playing around too roughly with other kids, and he's a growing boy with energy being burned out from him everyday. No wonder he's so tired now! But he can't be tired all the time, so he has to be faking it." The young woman stated as though her explanation answered everything.

Karen just shook her head, lightly touching her forehead with her fingertips. "I just don't know, but your father and I are taking Toby to the doctor's tomorrow morning, early. We don't expect you to come, so you'll have the house to yourself probably until the afternoon or so. We'll call you as soon as the check-up is over with." Sarah simply shrugged and yawned, walking past Karen as though she weren't there, and went into her room. She closed the door without so much as saying good night.

Sarah closed her eyes and leaned back against her door. Try as she might, Sarah **still** couldn't bring herself to recognize Karen as a respectable adult, and sadly, her father knew this as well. He still tried now and then to get them spend time together, but both women made it very difficult to do so.

The girl allowed herself to open her beautiful peridot-colored eyes to survey her room, and sighed in content. The very next day after she had returned from the Labyrinth, she grabbed large trunks and boxes from the attic, and somewhat angrily packed away all her fantastic belongings. Her books, her teddy bears, costumes, her dramatic make-up, her figurines and dolls, pictures… everything that reminded her of **him**, she hid away in the storage boxes.

"It's like she grew up over night!" Her father had joked with Linda, her true mother, over the phone. He was startled by her sudden change in behavior, and confided in Linda about it.

"She's a teenager, Bobby." She still used his old, endearing nickname, "You never know when they change, or how long it will take." Sarah still talked to her mother as often as she could via telephone and sometimes through e-mail, but they had not seen each other in years. Living a busy, popular, and fashionable life in LA could do that to family relationships, but Sarah learned not to mind it so much as she had when she was younger.

Sarah resumed back to examining her near to empty room. She remembered that once everything had finished being cleared out, she felt alien to the blank walls and spotless tops to her dressers; it didn't feel like her room at all. In time she grew accustomed to it, but there was always that sense of emptiness that presented itself to her. A shimmer of glitter caught her eye at the base of her dresser, placed right by her mirror: the one thing she couldn't bring herself to hide away in the attic.

Two months after her drastic decision to rid herself of the beautiful decorations, Sarah's longing to keep a part of what had once been her majestic room had begun to eat away at her. On a lazy afternoon, when everyone was tending to their own business, Sarah crept up the attic stairs and opened one of her boxes. She rummaged through the objects for a while, each one closing and opening again as she was desperate to find one thing that could sum up the beauty of what her room had lost. She came to the second to the last of boxes, reaching through the mass of colors and cottons of her stuffed toys… until her fingers brushed against something.

She wrapped her hand around the familiar object, little by little bringing it up out of the box. Her hand emerged, miniature doll in hand; the doll whose silver gown she had worn that haunting night in the glass ballroom, the doll that twirled in repeated circles to the soft melody of enchanting song he had sung to her that night as they danced together. She chewed on her lower lip for quite some time before coming to the decision that this was, in fact, the object she desired to remain in her room. Right or wrong, she wanted it in her room.

Toby had questioned her about it a few times, but she'd just say that she thought it was too pretty to put away with all the other stuff in the attic. Then she'd laugh as his eyes would widen and twinkle with glee at the thought of more things he could collect and arrange in his fantasy-fed room. She didn't mind when he wanted certain things that once belonged to her; she gave them to him, but only a certain amount so as not to have Karen complain that he already had too much stuff in his room, and he didn't need anymore.

Sarah walked over to her dresser, plucking the doll from its place. She turned it over and over in her hands, as though she were trying to find something out of place with it. She found nothing but the tiny knob at the side of the silver casing the doll was in, and not really thinking about it, she turned it backwards. This was the first time in five years she had turned the knob back; before she had always been conscious to the fact that this one little thing could trigger something related to the Goblin King, but her mind was too cloudy to acknowledge just exactly what she had done.

The young woman set the doll down, staring at it as though she were waiting for it to talk. But no; the doll just kept spinning in slow circles to the lovely music. The doll couldn't stop from spinning, and Sarah couldn't stop herself from singing the words of a song that she had tried so hard to forget:

_There's such a sad love _

_Deep in your eyes_

_A kind of pale jewel _

_Open and closed within your eyes_

_I'll place the sky_

_Within your eyes…_

Sarah seemed to be under a kind of trance, until she caught herself at the next verse. Not knowing why she suddenly felt dizzy, she quickly backed away from her dresser, only to have her back bump into something solid. She remained leaned against the solidity, fearing that if she moved, she would certainly faint. She had been looking down at the beige coloring of her carpet, dreading to look into her mirror that stood on her dresser. She had begun to tremble violently, yet the solidity did not move at all.

Breathing. A taught chest rising, then falling again as they took in breath, then exhaled. The solidity stood a full head taller than herself, so that his calm breathing pattern stirred the strands of her hair ever so wispily. She dared to move her hand in the slightest manner, brushing against what she already knew would be there: leather and the unimaginably soft cloth of a cloak. Still shaking, she forced herself to look into the mirror.

Her peridot eyes locked with his mismatched ones, a clash of icy blue and auburn brown. His unreadable expression quickly changed to a wild cat's grin before he tears into his prey, flashing slightly pointed pearly teeth, reminding her that he was definitely **not** human. In that moment, her legs seemed to turn into instant jelly. Her back pressed firmly to his front, her legs were beginning to give out on her and she began to slide down his body. His hands were quick stop the suggestiveness, and it seemed he was the only thing that was holding Sarah together.

The young woman's uncharted eyes never at **one** moment left his face. Had he always been this beautiful? He probably had been, but her immature fifteen year old past-self never truly recognized it she figured. His delving eyes were set atop high cheekbones, an elegant set of nose and lips and brows only adding to his mystifying beauty. His shock of blonde locks reached just past his shoulders, a white poet's shirt flowing through his black leather jacket and midnight blue cloak.

Her gaze fell back down to the carpet; she couldn't look at him anymore. He wasn't **really **here, was he? Of course not. She had defeated him at his own game. She had rejected him. She had humiliated him. Why on Earth would he just… show up?

"Sarah."

Whatever doubts she had about his not truly being there vanished as soon as her name was spoken from his graceful lips. Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned her whole body to face him, and forced herself to look up into his eyes. Her lips parted, and she felt a wave of emotion sweep through her as she watched his elegant eyebrow lift up in expectancy.

"Well, Sarah… how has life treated you these past years? Fair, I hope."

Then, Sarah could do the only thing she had really felt like doing since the moment her back bumped into his front.

She fainted.

_XXX_

**A/N**: So I'm sitting here at 4:54 in the fucking morning, because I felt that I couldn't sleep without completing this. I hope the reader's appreciate my sense of… generosity. You know, I **was **thinking about making this a one-shot… but, I'll just have to put that decision on hold for now. It all depends on the flow of reviews. I'll also start working on longer chapters if I'm satisfied with the reviews.

Until next time!


	2. Life As He Knows It

**A/N**: So, I was **very** pleased with the reviews. A shout out to all you lovely reviewers, and a special one to my internet buddy for quite some time, uncutetomboy! Hopefully my story will live up to my reader's expectations.

_XXX_

_Chapter II: Life As He Knows It_

Sarah groaned into her bed sheets, her fingers lifting off her pillow to feel around for anything that felt out of place to her. Nothing but the scratchy fabric of her old comforter met her fingers, and she propped herself up on one elbow, right hip exposed to the chilly morning air. She rubbed her eyes, trying to rid her vision of the blur that met them, looking around her room. It was as it always had been for the past five years: colorless and quiet, the glint of dazzling silver emitting from her miniature doll her only companion in here placed in front of her mirror.

Dazzling… mirror…?

Sarah shot out of her bed, examining every corner of her room, anxious to find the familiar shadowed figure-- but he was nowhere in sight. The young woman didn't know whether to be grateful of upset; he **had** been here last night, hadn't he? He had to have been. There was no way she could possibly dream something so real! She had touched him, she had felt him pressed up against her back, the leather of his gloves wrapped around her upper arms holding her on her feet…

The girl seated herself once more on her bed, and was horrified to feel that goose bumps had risen on the skin of her arms, chest, and legs. What horrified her even more so was that she was **not at all** repulsed by their physical contact; in fact, she **relished **in it. She rubbed her skin to ebb away the tingling sensation that had ignited from deep within her. Sighing, she leaned back against her head board while she casually flicking her eyes over her current attire, and sucked in a sharp breath.

Glitter. **All over her**, glitter had stuck to the bare skin of her body, and the silky fabric of her nightgown. She pulled her hands away from her arms to find her palms glittering as well. She didn't know why exactly, but Sarah stood from her bed and crept slowly towards her dresser mirror, eyes closed, almost afraid to look into her reflection. _I'll be okay… it's just glitter. _She opened her peridot eyes and gasped, her hands reaching up to touch her face in sheer fascination. Even the whole of her face was lightly coated in blue glitter: eyelids, nose, cheeks, her neck… all but one place remained untouched, not a trace of the shimmering substance there.

Unlike the rest of Sarah's personage, her lips had stayed their pretty, pale pink rose color.

_XXX_

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" A wart-covered brown Goblin cried out, stumbling unannounced into his King's throne room.

Jareth had been relaxing on his throne chair, one leg swung over the armrest, his head tossed back against the opposite armrest. He sighed in aggravation, placing a hand over his eyes as the inferior Goblin threw itself on the floor in an ungraceful bow. "Did I not command to be left in peace?" He snapped, his lips curling back into a cruel sneer, "I am not in such a pleasant mood at the moment… so you had better hope that whatever you have to say is important, for they may very well be your last words."

Terrified, the feeble goblin choked on his words before they came rushing out in a sputter, "L-Lord Odian r-r-requests an audience w-with you t-t-tomorrow afternoon, Sire! He-he pleads that i-it is **very** urgent!"

The Goblin King raised a perfect brow in intrigue, carelessly tossing a crystal orb into the air before it came back down into his hand. "Tell me, cretin…" He drawled out, "if this 'request' was so urgent, why is Odian not present as of now?"

The pathetic goblin gasped at the King's informal term for his Lord, but then realized Jareth was waiting for him to respond. "Ah, well… I-I am at a loss for words! I do not f-f-fathom how to r-respond to his Majesty!" Jareth rose abruptly, stepping down from his throne chair. "P-please your Majesty, I beg of you! D-do not harm me! I-I am b-but a humble messenger, so lowly that he d-does not deserve the honor of dying at y-your hand!"

The Goblin King now stood at his full height, glowering down at the rattled little thing in morbid amusement. "Hard to believe that I would say this of you considering your bottom-feeding state… but you are absolutely correct. You are not worthy to die by my hand." He grinned wickedly as he placed a hand under his own alabaster chin, as if deciding whether he should torture the creature or not. Alas, he was still in no mood to do such… Jareth sighed, the grin faded, and waved his hand in dismissal. "Give my regards to your Lord; report to him that I will be his audience sometime before the sun sets. Leave."

It was all the goblin could do not to jump out the window to get as far away from the Goblin King possible. Instead, he acted on the more intelligent choice, and quickly exited the throne room, closing the double doors behind him.

Jareth crossed his arms over his chest, slowly shifting towards his large throne window. He seated himself on the sill, looking out over the fantastic view that was his kingdom; from his castle, to the Goblin City, to the ancient and wondrous Labyrinth:

The Labyrinth **she** had defeated.

His jaw clenched at the very thought of her. She was solely responsible for his horrid temperament this morning, causing him to lash out at anything or anyone that got near him. Jareth shut his eyes, an image of the captivating mortal coming to life in his mind. Last night was the first time he had seen her face to face in five years… note, it was **face to face**. Just as it had been unbeknownst to her before she came to the Labyrinth, she still had no clue that his crystals gave him the convenient ability to watch her. Little by little, he watched her mature out of her baby fat that still remained when she was fifteen, her face become slender and shaped, her hair grow longer with darker waves of chestnut coloring, her slightly tanned body sculpt into curves.

And those eyes. Those eyes that wrote his demise as soon as his gaze fell upon her all those years ago. Their beautiful light-green hue were like peridot jewels, innocence and purity glimmering in such a way that made his fists clench and his heart begin to quicken its pace.

She would never know how much her crystalline beauty **enraged him**. It enraged him, because as much as he wanted to reach out and touch her… he feared that he would taint her somehow. That his physical contact with her skin would drain her of that light that she so utterly glowed within. So he watched her from the distance, never daring to appear before her in the past five years--

Until now.

She hadn't said his name; she hadn't even said his title. But she sang-- heavens, she sang! She sang the words that had originated from his untamed heart, the song that was his promise to her. And so he came, because he **always **knows what Sarah wants, and even if she refused to acknowledge it, he **knew** that she **wanted** to see him.

He managed to chuckle at the memory of her astonished face as she looked at him in bewilderment. He remembered how she was pressed up against him, how he could feel her body trembling. Then his lips broke into a full-on wicked grin as he asked her: "Well, Sarah… how has life treated you these past years? Fair, I hope." He laughed. It had been such a ridiculous question, considering that he had still looked upon her through his crystal's during the years. Again, she didn't know that; it was only polite to ask. But to his great disappointment, she fainted.

Reluctantly, he lifted her into his arms and placed her on her bed, seating himself next to her. He already predicted that she would question his presence there, so he left something she would definitely take notice of. Jareth's throat suddenly went dry as he recalled the way his gloved fingers traced feather-light patterns over her skin, the cloth of her nightgown, leaving sparkling midnight blue glitter in their wake. She was the Goddess of the Moon; the soft glow of the aurora borealis. She took his breath away.

Then his eyes fell upon her lips, the one place he couldn't bring himself to touch. They were rosy and full, tempting to any man in any world, the Goblin King included. Jareth slowly removed the glove from his right hand, and reached out to her mouth. He could feel her breath on his fingers, making his eyes turn dark with an unreadable expression.

He suddenly jerked his hand away.

He stood quickly, walking back to her window. Anger flashed in his eyes as he turned once more to gaze at the sleeping girl. He yanked his glove back on, eyes still trained on her gorgeous face. _She doesn't know what she's done. She doesn't know what she has… done to __**me**_He shape-shifted into an owl, and took off into the cold night.

_She doesn't know what she's done._

_XXX_

Sarah fastened her bathrobe tightly at the waist, her skin rubbed a raw pink. She scrubbed and scrubbed, and **still** some of his essence remained on her. She stopped right outside her closed doorway, her hand resting on the knob. The fact that her lips were they only things that didn't have a speck of the pretty substance bothered her.

… A lot. Did that mean he hadn't touched her lips? Was he giving her some kind of sign? Had he kissed her, perhaps?

The thought of being lip-locked with the Goblin King made her stomach flip-- in the good way. Heat rushed to her face, and she felt her palms begin to sweat. Shaking her head, she opened the door to her room to step inside… the phone rang. Sarah frowned, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. She stared at the phone on its cradle for a minute, then picked it up.

"Hello?" She mumbled.

"Sarah? Sarah, honey…" Came her father's voice in a sob.

The young woman's frown deepened, concern gripping her, "Dad? What's wrong? Why ar--"

"Toby… it's Toby, he's…" His sentences kept breaking off into strangled fragments, and Sarah became aware that she could hear a woman's, Karen, crying hysterically in the background. Sarah felt her heart drop as he father continued to choke on his words.

"Dad, what are you trying tell me!? What's wrong with Toby!?"

"… He has cancer, honey. It can't-- it can't be treated. The doctor's can't do anything for him, he doesn't have that long to-- oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry! I-I…"

But Sarah was no longer listening. She dropped the phone as if it had burned her, and she crumpled to the floor.

_XXX_

**A/N**: I cannot stress it enough-- _**PLEASE REVIEW**_!!! I see that all these people are adding my story to their favorites, and yet the majority of them don't review! Reader reviews keep a writer going, myself included!

But to those who do review… I love you!


	3. The Right Words

**A/N**: Jeebussssss!!! Fourty four- REVIEWS!? I'm **definitely **pleased! Golly, I feel so loved… thanks, you guys! Believe it or not, your reviews are the reason I keep on going!

While I was typing this chapter, I was listening to a collection of different songs. Sheesh, music really **can** be inspirational!

Sorry for the delay. My computer was being retarded, but now it's back up and running. Enjoy, and don't forget to REVIEW!!!

_XXX_

_Chapter III: The Right Words_

Sarah continued to wretch violently into the kitchen trash can, knowing already that she couldn't possibly reach the toilet on time. Her tears did not hold back, flowing down her cheeks and mingling with the other fluids stuck to her face. Her sobs seemed to shake the whole house, choking on air that refused to enter her lungs.

Giving one last shudder she finished, then sat back on her heels, burying her face in her hands. _Toby… Toby… oh God, Toby! _Her thoughts screamed. _What-- what do I…?_

Sarah pushed herself up to stand, her legs shaking like a newborn fawn. Staggering out of the kitchen, which now slightly stank of the emptied contents of her stomach, Sarah attempted to balance herself on the stair rail. Her vision was flooded with tears, she could taste the salt of them on her mouth; in a way, it was oddly comforting. But she wanted nothing more than to get her hands on the nearest dull object and strike herself over the head, just so the pain would stop-- the realization of what she had just been told was taking its full toll on her, and she couldn't bear it; it was the greatest pain she had ever felt, outshining any physical or emotional trauma she had ever suffered throughout the quick twenty years of her life.

"To-- by…" She croaked weakly. Not entirely conscious of her actions, she began to crawl up the stairs. She needed to be in her room; there was no other place in the world where she would rather be right now. She wanted to be greeted by blank walls and a mirror, not stay trapped in this horrid reality.

_What did I-- do to deserve this…?_ She asked herself. The question was like a needle that was injected into her vein, now spreading and numbing her entire body. She could no longer feel her tears, was deaf to her own sobs: she was a wreck. For some reason, she felt as though this was all **her fault**… and she had no idea why.

_XXX_

Jareth frowned into his crystal orb, his unique eyes narrowing in the slightest concentration. Just as he always knew what Sarah wanted, he knew when she was upset-- and she was a disaster this time. Her tears were not due to a foolish little boy who broke her heart, or her unkind step mother's harsh words. No… her tears were actually shed for someone other than herself this time.

Sarah was not selfish, but she did pity herself quite often. It sometimes frustrated Jareth that she still had not truly grown out of that particular childish trait; but a moment later, that frustration would be forgotten with the need to give her something that would make her smile once more. It wasn't as though he **couldn't **deal with seeing her cry-- he could. He just didn't want to.

_The babe is sick, hm? Well, Sarah… what will you do now? _

Cold as it was, it was in Jareth's nature for his lips to curl up into his sadistic grin. Sarah was in pain; he couldn't help but feel a trace of satisfaction from her grief. After everything she had done **to** him, and after all he had done **for **her, it was his right be pleased with the fact that now **she **was the one suffering. And he wouldn't do a **damn thing** to help her.

At all. No. He wouldn't help her. No-- not even a little bit? No, of course not. She **deserved** this! Better yet, she deserved **worse**! No… of course he would come to her aid… of course he **wouldn't**! No-- well, yes… he would eventually do… do **something** to make her stop crying. Right? Yes, he would… n't…

An inhuman growl tore from Jareth's pale throat, his eyes flashing dangerously. The crystal orb bore the wrath of his tightening vice grip, then was blessed with release as it burst into dazzling silver shards as the Goblin King slammed the round object into the barren stone wall of his throne. His breathing came out in short and ragged huffs, also unaware that there were a few goblins listening in on his melt down through his throne doors, now scurrying away in horror at the sound of their King so unimaginably angry.

Just as soon as he was infuriated, Jareth calmed down and seated himself once more. Hesitantly, he formed another crystal in his hand to glare at the image that blurred to life in the orb. She now lied on her bed, her knees brought up to her chest. She had stopped sobbing, but tears still stained her face with new trails. She was the only one who made him question himself; the only one who made him feel lost, like he didn't know himself. A King was never supposed to feel doubtful… ever. Yet she contradicted him into such a state of mind.

Jareth griped the crystal, tempted to destroy this one as well. It was then that he realized:

_This girl could be in her worst, most miserable condition possible… and __**still**__ somehow manage to bring me down with her._

_XXX_

Her eyes closed, Sarah let the dark feeling of surrender overcome herself. There was nothing she could do… time had stopped spinning for Sarah-- everything had slowed down, and she was stuck in a dreadful place in her mind where nothing felt real to her anymore.

_-- where everything is not as it seems…_

Sarah cracked open her swollen eyes, those words echoing in her head. Where had **that** sentence originated from? The girl's eyes widened even more so as the image of the Labyrinth formed in her distressed thoughts. An idea was beginning to piece itself together, but her stubborn sense of logic was fighting against it.

_Could he… no… __**would**__ he?_

Sarah sat up quickly, her peridot eyes narrowing into her mirror. She looked absolutely distraught, but there was a fire beginning to ignite within her that glimmered beautifully in her eyes. The young woman swung her legs over the side of her bed, now finding a thread of strength to help her remain standing. She hurriedly made her way to her dresser, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a change of clothes: undergarments, a crisp white tank top, and black jeans. She tugged off her bath robe, using it to wipe away her passed tears.

_I shouldn't get my hopes up. But maybe… just maybe he'd be willing to help me. _She heard a voice in the back of her mind laughing at such an impossible request, and before she knew it, she began to list all the reasons why he wouldn't lift a finger to help her. There were just too many negative things held against her when concerning the Goblin King-- **too many**. But he was her last resort at such a critical moment.

Now dressed, Sarah grabbed her brush from the bathroom and began to comb through the knots of her thick, dark hair. Her reasoning to call upon the Goblin King was now beginning to crumble the more she thought about it, her heart beat quickening to emphasize her growing panic.

_What if he doesn't help Toby? What if he just laughs in my face, or becomes angry? Or worse: what if he makes me run the Labyrinth again? But then again, if he was still hurting from my last visit… then why was he here last night?_

Shaking her head, Sarah set her brush down, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. She shouldn't be scared; she **wouldn't **be scared. For Toby's sake, she had to prepare to heed to any command that the Goblin King made of her, even if it meant she had to run the Labyrinth once more. Despite the disastrous situation, Sarah allowed herself a small smile. She had done it before, and she could certainly do it again! She knew her friends would be there for her the entire way through, just as they had last time. She hadn't seen them since that night of celebration, and though she missed them, she could understand that she should no longer have any connections to the Underground. "It's for yer own safety!" Hoggle had spat stubbornly.

The girl straightened herself up, examining herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a bit swollen, but had

considerably sized down compared to how they were a half an hour ago. She looked as plain as she felt, no make up and what not. Her hands tightened into fists, her nails biting into her palms.

_This is it. This is my only shot to save Toby, and I'll do anything to make that happen… I'm __**not**__ scared. I can do this! _With those words of encouragement in mind, Sarah turned and faced the open window. She swallowed thickly, a sentence forming in her chest, but not making their way to her lips. Before she could change her mind and back out, she forced the command out of her mouth in a rush.

"I wish the Goblin King would come and save my brother-- **RIGHT NOW**!"

_XXX_

Jareth was a **good man**. Rather, he could be if he really wanted to. True, the summoning words spoken from the lips of the object of his affection should have sent a jolt of excitement through the **good man **in him. True, the **good** **man** in him would show himself before her in a heartbeat, pledging to grant her anything she desired. And true, the **good man** in him would grant her wish without question, or asking anything in return.

But as of this moment, the good man in Jareth was being tortured and torn to shreds by the savage Fae that proved dominant in most of the Goblin King's ambitions.

He examined the back of his gloved hand as if it were the most interesting thing in the world to him. But of course it wasn't-- his thoughts were locked on the beautiful mortal girl that would certainly be the death of him. She had summoned him for the third time; this time, intentionally.

And he had no idea what to do. Well, he did somewhat… he basically had two options. One, he could ignore her call, pretend he had never even heard it. He could erase her from his musings, his interests, sometimes his dreams-- he'd just erase her memory all together, just as he had done with everything and everyone whom had befriended Sarah in the Underground. He could go on with his immortal life, never daring to look back on the only one whom had defeated his Labyrinth. She could suffer for the rest of her brief mortal life, burdened forever with nightmares of her deceased sibling. It was very possible to go through with this option, and probably easier to follow through with…

Or not. Two, he could go to her without hesitation; he already knew her wish anyways. He would cure her brother, and disappear from their lives again, doomed to continue to remain watching her from afar. This option sounded a bit… distasteful as well.

He concluded that either way, he would lose. And good heavens, he **hated** to lose. _But… there is always secret option number three._

His third option: take what is **indebted** to him as soon as he heals the babe. Jareth tapped his index finger on against his chin thoughtfully. Sarah owed him a great deal if he was to go through with this; but exactly how much was she willing to give up? Surely there was something that he could demand of her that would signify his victory in all of this.

His mind was as blank as a canvas for a moment… and then he knew. He **knew**!

Jareth shot up from his throne chair, clasping his leather jacket together around his torso. He knew what she would have to sacrifice for her brother's life. The babe's fatal illness was an absolute **guarantee **that she could not refuse his wish. But before he could shape-shift into the nocturnal bird of prey, Jareth halted at the sill of his grand window. He had always wondered… what it would be like to hear Sarah say his name. _No… then I'll wait. She said 'Goblin King'-- but those are __**not**__ the words I want to hear._

Jareth folded his arms across his chest, his fangs gleaming in the sunlight due to the confident grin displayed on his ethereal face. Oh, yes-- Jareth could be a **patient man**. Patient, indeed.

_XXX_

She had said the right words. They were the right words… and he wasn't here. It had already been five minutes, and he hadn't come. The threat of future tears stung her eyes as Sarah tried again, her voice cracked with desperation: "I wish the Goblin King would come and save my brother **RIGHT NOW**!"

Not even a stir. Only the song of a chirping blue bird answered her call. The tears finally let go and spilled down Sarah's cheeks. _He isn't coming. I blew it. There's nothing else I can do now… Toby is going to die. And it's all __**my**__ fault._

"_Say the right words!" _A squeamish voice cackled.

Sarah whipped her head around in alarm, scanning her room for any possible threat. It was unmistakable; that was definitely a goblin's horrid voice. That could only mean… _He heard me call him!_ A broken smile traced her lips, and Sarah was filled with hope once more, her mind struggling to grasp the latter goblin's demand. _Say the right words? But-- but I did! I don't understand…_

"_The right words! The right words! The right words!"_ It continued to chant. One of Sarah's drawers opened, then slammed shut. Something ruffled the sheets of her bed, some of her make up scattered on the floor.

_No mistake… if they're here, then he should be here. Where is he?_

"_The right words… say them! Say them!"_

What was once a feeling of fear was now replaced with complete annoyance. The repeated words became distracting, and Sarah couldn't think of the supposed 'right words'. _The right words… what are the right words? Maybe I'm thinking too hard on this. What if it's just simply-- _Sarah paused. _What if it's just simply not the right __**name**__? The Goblin King-- _

Sarah raised her eyes to the window, clouded sunlight beaming through the panes. "Jareth." She whispered, letting the name roll over her tongue. "I wish… I wish Jareth would come and save my brother right now."

There was silence at first, then a gust of wind that pushed open her window. The air around Sarah seemed to change, a sudden depth added that caused Sarah to feel unsettled. She wrapped her arms around herself, and nearly jumped out of her skin as a voice purred in her ear: "Hello, Sarah."

_XXX_

**A/N**: Dun dun dun! The more reviews, the faster I update people! And a BIG THANKS to all my previous reviewers! I LOVE YOU GUYS!


	4. His Pride, Her Freedom

**A/N**: Reviews are good for the soul. For mine, at least. Thanks to all of you lovelies that reviewed, and sorry for the wait! School and family matters has taken up a lot of my time. Now, on with the show!

_XXX_

_Chapter IV: His Pride, Her Freedom_

Sarah couldn't help but shudder as Jareth murmured her name, his lips accidentally grazing her ear, his hot breath stirring the sensitive hair at the nape of her neck. She whirled around, taking steps to back away from him, albeit nervously. He grinned all too knowingly, taking a step forward each time she took a step back. "You called for me?"

At the sound of his enchanting accent, Sarah felt her skin tingle with goose bumps just as they had earlier that morning. A delicious chill jolted down her spine, accompanying the rapid rhythm of her heartbeat and her slender hands that had begun to tremble. "I-- I di- id."

_Oh God, I'm stammering! Why am I stammering!? _Sarah shook her thoughts away, and cleared her throat to continue, "I called you here because… because I… Toby."

"Ah, yes… your baby brother. I take it that he has not been well?" The Goblin King cocked an eyebrow, expecting an immediate and jumbled answer from her. But she said nothing: she only stared at him. Her eyes remained locked on his face, almost afraid that if she looked away, he would disappear. Jareth tilted his head only slightly, a close-lipped smile gracing his mouth as he studied her. Even with her simple attire and naked face, she was still more beautiful than any nymph, muse, siren… any Fae folk of creature, for that fact. What he noticed most as of right now, though, was her eyes. As she backed up, she had ended up pressed against the window pane, causing the sun rays to set her rosy cheekbones and auburn hair aglow, allowing the true colors of her eyes to dazzle anyone that looked within them. Their light peridot color had deepened into an alluring forest green, the mahogany brown encircling the black iris and glittering gold flecks stood out brilliantly in the sunlight. It was as if the very heart of the Labyrinth itself was concealed within those jeweled depths.

It was only when he leaned a bit closer did he realize that she had begun to babble away again, "Toby is sick-- he's very, very sick. Medicine here… it can't save him. He has what people here call leukemia, and it--" Sarah shut her mouth abruptly as the cool touch of his gloved fingers trailed up her left arm. He watched her face for her reaction, his eyes glinting with playful curiosity. Though entranced at first, a now enraged Sarah jerked her arm away, causing her once more to slam into the blank wall of her room. She didn't feel the pain nor acknowledged the knot surely swelling at the back of her head. "What the hell is your **problem**!? I didn't wish you here so you could toy with me, or-- or touch me! You're here because I want to save my brother, please!" She screamed, desperation somewhat lining her voice. Despite her attempt to sound fierce and persistent, Sarah's words faded at the end of her sentence. What was even more humiliating was that she could feel the onslaught of heat rising on her cheeks and neck, her scarlet skin signifying her fluster.

Despite her tragic situation, there wasn't much Jareth could do to repress the feeling of great amusement rising within him, hiding in the corners of his lips. It pleased him to no end that he had this kind of effect on Sarah, that his very presence reduced this unyielding woman to that of a seemingly infatuated little girl. She had to at least be **physically** attracted to him, right? Why else would she be this trembling wreck?

Jareth gave a slight bow of his head in morbid respect, an arrogant smirk still tugging his mouth. "Very well, Sarah. I'll take care of it. Your brother will be cured of his illness by the next dawn."

Sarah hadn't known that she had been holding her breath until a gush of air escaped from her lungs. "Oh… thank you so much... You don't know how much this means to me."

Jareth placed his fist under his chin as his eyes bore into Sarah, his next sentence causing her heart to skip a beat. "This is no longer generosity on my part, Sarah. I expect something in return."

Silence descended upon the Goblin King and the stunned human, her heavy breaths the only sound filling the void. Sarah's hands trembled, her fingers reaching tentatively to her lips in shaken thought, _What could I possibly give to him that would be of equal value of saving a loved one's life? What could he possibly want… that I could give…?_

Quietly but surly, a voice cackled in Sarah's mind: _Is that such a hard question to answer? It doesn't take a genius to know what a __**man**__ would want out of the opposite sex._

_B-- but he's the Goblin King! _Sarah argued with the voice. _He wouldn't want… __**that**__. Would he?_

_So, simply because he is a King means that he doesn't have the desires of a man? _The voice chuckled. _Don't think so highly of him. _

Sarah raised her eyes to his, her resolve to deny his demand slowly deteriorating. Jareth noticed something fall away in the stubborn girl's eyes, her pretty head lowering in defeat and shame as she mumbled, "I'll-- I'll do anything you want. Just please save my brother."

A triumphant smile broke Jareth's face, a swell of energy bursting within his chest; one could only assume it was his enormously boosted pride. "Well then, Sarah!" His voice taunted, "In exchange for such a wish, you must return with me to the Underground--" Sarah's head snapped up in alarm at this, "and remain there for as long as I desire so. Do we have a deal?"

"Wh-what…?" Sarah cracked. "Stay-- live in the Underground? Are you **insane**!?" Her voice rose, "I have a **life** here, a family, my friends! What the hell, I-- I can't leave! Everything I know and love is here, there's no way I can just…"

Jareth simply shrugged. "Suit yourself. I gave you a chance; but since you refuse **my** wish, I refuse **yours**. Farewell, stupid girl." The cocky King turned to face the window to appear as though he was about to depart, knowing very well what he was doing. If he knew Sarah -which he did very well- there was no possible way that she would allow the babe to die when the opportunity to spare him was walking away right in front of her.

"Wait, wait! Isn't there anything else I can do, anything else!? Please, I'm--"

"No." He cut her off abruptly. "Either you come with me, or your brother's death will be on your head. There is no other option." His tone was harsh, no sympathy whatsoever lining his musical voice.

Sarah felt naked under his heated gaze, her face shading scarlet in humiliation. "Please…" She whispered once more.

For a minute, Jareth stared into the despaired girl's eyes, and felt his inner walls beginning crumble. He shook his head lightly, determined to remain resistant despite her heart breaking face, "No."

Sarah's fist clenched as her stomach fell down to her feet, the urge to vomit great. _No one could possibly be that cruel. No person could possibly do this to someone else… _But as Sarah stared into the Goblin King's unique eyes, something clicked in her head, an answer she didn't exactly want to listen to: _But then again, he isn't really human, is he? No. He's a goddamn monster. _Tears of pure hatred stung Sarah's eyes and cheeks as she spat, "You-- you win then, Goblin King. I'll go with you."

Jareth had expected more of a fight from her. He had expected him to gloat over her, proclaiming her defeat. But that wasn't the case at all; never had a person looked at him in such a way before. A way the made him feel absolutely vile. He **never** felt vile. His triumph swayed, a cold expression crossing his features and challenging hers as he began to taunt her once more, "You must hate me."

She only stared back into those wickedly amused eyes, her opening to say something, but thought better of it and closed her mouth once more.

He shrugged carelessly, and whipped around to face her rather small window. "Very well then, Sarah. You have exactly four hours, six o'clock to be exact, to bid your farewells. However you manage to explain that on such… short notice." He chuckled. Sarah released a shaky breath through her nose, and proceeded to turn and open her bedroom door and walk out. "And Sarah?" His cold yet playful voice called to her once more. There was a tense silence between them, before Jareth's all-too knowing tone broke through the warm afternoon air. "Don'tyou **dare** try to run away. I'll find you anyways, but I won't be in a very kind mood." He said no more, and Sarah didn't turn to watch him leave.

There was a flap of wings echoing in the night, then silence. Sarah had been gripping the door knob so hard, her knuckles had turned white. She slowly walked downstairs, then paused to look up at the ugly grandfather clock. The hands read 2: 11 p.m.

"_Don't you __**dare **__try to run away…"_

The girl's pretty lips set in a straight line, her eyes becoming more frigid than the polar ice caps. "Go to hell." She whispered savagely, then bolted out the front door, coat in hand.

_XXX_

**A/N**: Blargh. I hate how time flies. It's 2:43 in the morning. Wow, I should go to bed. Hope you guys liked this chapter, since I hated writing it. I really don't know why.

Don't forget to check out my other story, _Eclipse Of The Heart_, a Sailor Moon fanfic. Yeeeaaauuuuhhhh, boi. Okay, now I'm really going to bed…


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